Spying is a fact of life. We laughed about it in the 1960's with Allen Funts' "Candid Camera" Fast forward to the 21st century.

In the name of the God and excuse of Public Safety, they are installed in more places than you know! They are easy to manufacture and cheap to install and distribute. A key question is whether they take stills or timed videos.

In places like London they are placed everywhere. In transportation centers, central terminals, streets highways and other locations. In this place they were introduced as a result of indiscriminate bombing by the IRA and other terrorist groups.

It's only going to get more intense. They are located in

ATM's to record financial transactions for accounting purposes. But also illegally to spy

Some elevators to catch acts of random violence

Busses, classrooms, hallways and most areas around schools. Publicity over violence has caused this

Traffic lights and overhead mounts as well as toll stations for traffic counting and monitoring

Smile, is it really something to smile about, its scary knowing we are being watched in so many different ways. This was an enlightening article but not sure I am happy with the whole idea of spying, but I guess its in the name of public safety. Is it possible for my lap top camera to be taken over? If that can be taken over then possibly everything on my laptop can be taken over too. That is a not a good thought.
Another great article Mike.

It's enough to make one feel self conscious.
It is a family joke that I once (blush) told my mother to hurry up with her face titavating,
I asked her "who's looking at you"?
Now I say to my daughter "who's looking at me"? usually because I am wearing my work clothes and slipping out to the shops. Tee hee. We are so self centred when we are young.
I put a sticky paper over the camera lense on my computer until I need to Skype.
Someone must be very scared of humanity to go to all the lengths they have to spy on us. We have the numbers after all.
Cheers, Jae

I do not know what it is but I get the impression people are more frustrated, stressed, and therefore more violent, must be the bad food and all the toxins. To have cameras in metros and on the street is necessary as some cruel deeds were recorded and the culprits arrested.

Well you are right we are being watched like it or not but here's a funny story that takes your title "smile" to the extreme.
My daughters friends parents have a camera installed at the door. She was told that most visitors when they know, hide their face. She apparently does a full on jazz hands performance with a stage smile fixed to her face. She doesn't care and she's 28 not 12... Dear God what did I create?
So if you are going to be watched, you may as well give them a show
With Grace and Gratitude
Karen

Yup. And one doesn’t need to even be a big company or govt to have enough tech to be intrusive these days.

Cheap, off-the-shelf solutions for video, sound, geotracking, and data capture are available to any jealous ex or nefarious phone app developer.

And as has already been mentioned here, the IoT is going to make those connections even more pervasive (yay! Like that Julie Delpy scifi!).

Our laws, unfortunately, limp along behind the rapidly morphing tech environment we inhabit, and those who would abuse it.

Meanwhile, Germany just banned children from having certain kinds of smart-watches. Privacy and the protection of minors took precedence when it was uncovered how much data was being sent back to the manufacturer, and also, how easily any random character could intercept that same data.

I used to install the electrical systems and mount security cameras and lights. Had to have an FBI clearance and years of experience and schooling to do it. Everything is contracted by big corporations to keep an eye on things. Much of the work we did was done at night when businesses were closed so we could lock out electrical breakers when working on devices. So when you shop in stores like Walmart and grocery stores know that wherever you go you can bet your bottom dollar there's a camera that can see you. Makes me shake my head when people try and rip stuff off and think they are being clever. Big brother is really blog corporations and they got their eye on everything. My brother works for the DEA. I'm sure he has better stories than mine. Lol

We paid several thousand dollars for securtiy system at a brick and mortar business where we need security cameras and the company can't seem to keep the damn cameras running properly half the time! Constantly calling to say, camera X is down again....and someone puts one in a toilet in a subway somewhere without incident! Go figure!

Once I did get involved in installing some security cameras for railway property, including underpasses and footbridges and tunnels and one of the criteria which was essential for choosing the technology was that Facial Recognition must be adequate to be used as evidence in court for a successful prosecution of a suspected offender. Alan

I know I'm glad that I lived in the days of the original Candid Camera and know the feeling of laughing at someone hiding in a trash can or something stupidly entertaining. There is no privacy anywhere today and I understand why unfortunately...can't b too careful:)
It's a money making niche and that's a good thing!!
Thanks for the info!!

It's creepy to think of all the places that are being recorded now. My husband wanted to put one in our house so he could watch the cat during the day. I put my foot down on that one. No matter the reason for an entity using hidden cameras, they can all be accessed by hackers who have less legitimate or respectable uses for them.